August 2, 1994 - Part 10
August 2, 1994 - Part 10
(00:15:34) Mr. ALTMAN. I believe that FIRREA, the law FIRREA permits, in this case, the Treasury to-it says here, "the RTC is authorized to utilize the employees of the FDIC or, on consent, the personnel of any other Executive Department or Agency. As interim CEO of the RTC, Mr. Altman exercised all of the powers of the RTC and thus was authorized to use the time of Treasury personnel on RTC matters." Senator DODD. So that's the authority? Mr. ALTMAN. Yes, sir. Senator DODD. I might just ask you at some point here to submit to us, to this Committee a more formal set of recommendations on how we avoid this kind of mess in the future. Mr. ALTMAN, Yes, sir. Senator DODD. I yield back my time. Senator DOMENICI. Senator Dodd, do you have a couple of seconds? Could I just clarify something and ask you if you knew this: A lot of comments have been made about the Office of Government Ethics and their report. It's my understanding that they only spoke to employees of the Treasury Department. Now that's a very big difference because this whole dispute is a dispute between what Treasury Department people say and what White House people say. So with reference to that, it does seem to me that the conclusion is a conclusion about the Department of the Treasury, but not about the myriad of people players involved in this. Can somebody tell me if I'm right or wrong? Senator DODD. Well, I don't know. You may be right. All I'm saying is that because when I first heard about this, it sounded to me like it was somewhat like a Treasury operation looking at itself and I'm a little suspicious when people look at themselves. I felt much better about it when I was told that it was an independent operation. I think I'm correct in that. Mr. ALTMAN. Yes, Senator. Senator DODD. And two, the person who beads it was a Republican appointee who's been maintained and kept on the job as I understand it. These are not people necessarily who are trying to protect anybody or cover an body. Now, maybe, their mandate should be broader, to look at other people and that may be the case, but they struck me as being pretty straightforward honest people who don't have an axe to grind or to cover anybody's act up. If they thought something was done , I think they'd tell us. Senator DOMENICI. I didn't say that. 511 Senator DODD. My point is, I think we've got to understand who these people are. The CHAIRMAN. Well, let me Just Say to the Members here several people are seeking recognition. Senator Kerry is, Senator Dodd is finished. By rights, it's supposed to rotate to this side. Is it a parliamentary inquiry that you re making? Senator KERRY. It 's not so much a parliamentary inquiry Mr. Chairman, as it is an answer to the question that was asked by the Senator from New Mexico. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Gramm is next in the order. Would you be willing to yield for a moment Senator GRAMM. Not on my time, I wouldn't, I would be willing to withhold and let him go ahead. The CHAIRMAN. He's prepared to withhold, Senator Kerry. Why don't you make your point. Senator KERRY. The point I was going to make, I simply wanted to answer my friend. I would think that he ought to take he may not have hag the time yet and I'm sure he will want to read this and will, but the report from the Office of Government Ethics makes it very clear that as to the meeting in February that there was no disclosure of nonpublic information in any way that was a violation, No. 1; and No. 2, that there was no furtherance of anybody's own interest or that of another. And therefore, there was no ethical violation as to that meeting. In addition to that, with respect to Mr. Altman personally----and this is by name, this is not generic-it found that as to the meeting with Mr. Ickes on the discussion with respect to recusal there was also no violation. Now, in fairness it did leave open a question with respect to Mr. Altman's role on September 29 Sim simply because there wasn't adeluate information on the 1993 disclosure by Ms. Hanson. It did find the disclosure by Ms. Hanson did not violate ate the rules. You have an independent ruling as to three tiers with respect to Mr. Altman and Ms. Hanson, but there is one open question remaining Senator SARBANES. Mr. Chairman, Senator Domenici. Senator DOMENICI. Yes, sir.